Senate Farm Bill Markup Expected Soon

As the House of Representatives debates its version of the farm bill this week, the Senate is expected to hold a markup session on its version soon.

Senate Agriculture Chairman Pat Roberts recently told the Hagstrom Report that the Senate should be ready to announce a markup date next week. Senator Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat from Minnesota who sits on the Senate Ag Committee, predicts the committee will have a “product ready in June,” for consideration. Klobuchar said this week that the Senate Ag Committee members are working together on a bipartisan basis, “in contrast with the House Agriculture Committee.”

She also noted that House Agriculture ranking member Collin Peterson has said he supports the Senate bipartisan effort. Democrats in the House have refused to support the Republican-led effort in the chamber because of changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.